It is hard for "green" officials to be promoted, said an article in China Business News (excerpts below).

President Xi Jinping vowed to reform the performance assessment system and said clearly that GDP is not the sole criteria to evaluate officials.

He hit the nail on the head and identified the root of many problems China now faces.

Competition among county economies is a characteristic of the economy. This places the onus on growth speed, not quality.

For instance, under a GDP-oriented system polluting the air and water can help generate GDP.

All development must be to serve the public interest. In the new assessment system, the people should have a bigger say in judging the performance of local officials.

The government's real responsibility is to maintain a fair market environment for competition and provide public services and products.